Second Chance
by NessaRose89
Summary: Becker always wished he could meet Stephen Hart. When Stephen comes through an anomaly, he can. Becker/Stephen
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I don't own Primeval. Wish I did, but I don't.

For the first time in months, the ARC was silent. No yelling, no alarms, no training. Becker relaxed back in his chair, staring at the mound of paperwork in front of him. Yes, the ARC was silent- which just meant he finally had time to catch up on it.

He was ready for the alarm to go off at anytime now. Anything was better than paperwork.

There was a soft knock on the door and Becker turned his head slightly. "Enter."

"Enter? Really?" Connor Temple asked with a smirk.

"What do you want, Connor?" Becker asked, rolling his eyes at his friend.

"Do you know what Tuesday is?" Connor asked, the smirk sliding off of his face. H continued on before Becker had a chance to answer. "A year since Abby and I came back."

Becker nodded, having no idea where this was going. "I remember."

"Abby and I were talking and we want to have a dinner celebrating that we're back home." Connor explained.

Becker nodded, his eyes still looking intently at the young man. "That's a good idea."

"Right! So you'll come then?"

Becker's eyebrows rose in amusement. "Oh, was that an invitation?"

Connor glared, but it was ruined by the light laugh that slipped out. "Yep, Soldier Boy."

Becker's eyes narrowed. "I'll come if you stop calling me that."

"Deal." Connor laughed, moving toward the door. "So Tuesday? After work?"

Becker nodded, turning his attention back the paperwork in front of him.

A year. Abby and Connor had been back in this time for a year. Becker remembered the year before this past one, the sadness he had felt when he realized three of his team members- three of his friends, were lost somewhere in time. Or, they were dead.

Then Sarah died. Killed while trying to find the people they missed so much.

Thinking about Sarah made him think about Professor Nick Cutter. The brilliant man that had led the team when Becker had started at the ARC. The man that had been killed by his wife.

Not that Becker had known the Professor well. The man had always seemed to keep to himself- never letting anyone very close. But Becker had been told many times about the Professor's best friend- the man that had been killed while saving the rest of the team.

The man that had taken a part of each team member with him.

Becker had never had a chance to meet Stephen Hart. H had heard about the man, that he had been an amazing tracker, and a great shot. The man that Abby had a crush on and Connor had looked up to.

He had also heard about the bad. About the man that had slept with his best friends wife. Had broken Abby's heart. Had almost betrayed them all.

And Becker was fascinated. If he had one regret about working for the ARC, it was that he had never had the chance to meet Stephen Hart.

"Becker?" A soft voice questioned, startling him from his thoughts. He looked at the young girl in his doorway, a smile forming on his face.

"Hello, Jess." Becker said, motioning for her to step inside. She did, smiling shyly.

"Did Connor talk to you? About Tuesday?" She asked nervously, ringing her hands together.

"Yes." Becker replied, wincing inside at the look of adoration that crossed her face. He loved Jess, he really did, but his was more like she's my little sister type of love.

He somehow had a feeling that they weren't on the same wavelength with that one.

"Okay, so I'll see you there then?" She asked brightly, turning toward the door.

Becker chuckled. "Yes, Jess. What about Matt and Emily?"

She waved her hand, "Oh, they agreed. It should be fund. A good team outing."

Becker winced once more. Team. It was different for Jess. This was the only team she had known. Unlike him. Unlike Abby and Connor. "Right."

A familiar alarm sounded, making Becker jump from his chair instantly. No more paperwork.

"What do we have, Jess?" Matt asked, coming uo behind them only seconds after they got to the anomaly detector.

"It's-" She started, only to cut herself off and stare at the screen with wide eyes.

"It's where?" Connor asked, coming up beside her. He froze for a moment, then slowly started to shake his head.

"Connor?" Abby questioned, placing a hand on her fiance's arms. "Connor, what is it?"

Connor cleared his throat uncomfortably. Becker felt a twinge of worry when he saw how pal the young man was. "It's at Leek's old base." Connor told Abby softly. Abby paled, pulling back from him and shaking her head.

"Leek's old base?" Matt questioned, confused. Comprehension showed only a moment later. "Oh." He shifted uncomfortably. "You two don't have to-"

"We're going." Abby said softly, turning on her heel and walking toward the door. Becker met Connor's eyes for a moment, noticing the lingering sadness, before Connor shrugged his shoulders and followed Abby out.

"This should be…" Matt started as he quietly followed Abby and Connor.

"Interesting?" Becker supplied, a frown crossing his face.

"Possibly." Matt replied, heading for his truck that was already holding Connor, Abby, and Emily.

Becker went to his own truck, motioning for his men to follow him.

The rid was silent. Connor wasn't chattering on as usual, Abby wasn't making any sound. It seemed that everyone had picked up on the mood- even those that had no idea what was going on.

Once they arrived, Becker and his men jumped from the truck, looking for anything dangerous. Matt and Emily were also out, already something for the anomaly. But Connor and Abby were both still inside the truck.

"They'll come out eventually." Matt whispered.

Becker nodded, motioning for his men to follow him inside the building.

He had been briefed about what had happened here when he started at the ARC. He knew that this was the place Connor, Abby, Jenny, and Nick had been held. Stephen killed. He knew about Helen. He tried to separate that from what he was seeing, but it just came back whenever he entered a room. Was this where they were killed? What had they kept in here?

"It should be in a big open room in the middle of the building." Jess's voice rang in his ear. He heard a gasp from behind him and turned to see Abby behind him.

"Abby-"

"Where they kept the creatures." Abby told Becker, her jaw clenched. "Where Stephen was when-"

"You don't have to come." Becker told her quietly, motioning for his men to go forward.

"Yes, I do." Abby said instantly, moving forward slowly.

"Everything is clear." Connor's unusually sober voice rang out, "I'm heading toward the anomaly now."

The room had been cleared of the cages. No one would have ever known what had happened here. Abby had frozen in the doorway, staring at the anomaly as hard as she could. Like she was afraid to look away, to see the room.

Becker, on the other hand, let his eyes roam around the room. Stephen Hart.

"Something's coming through!" Matt said, raising his EMT at the anomaly. Becker did the same, as did his men.

The figure became clearer and Becker frowned as it started to take a familiar form. "Danny?" Becker called questioningly.

The figure fell through, landing hard on the ground in front of them. He was covered in blood, and Becker lowered the EMT as he tried to see where it was coming from. Face, legs, arms. "Sorry." The figure gasped, shaking his head. "Not Danny."

Abby gasped loudly, and Becker saw Connor lean against a wall in shock. "Stephen?" Abby whispered.

The EMT fell from Becker's hands in shock as Abby rushed around him, falling to the floor beside the man. "Abby?" The man gasped in pain, staring at her in shock. "Where am I?"

"Stephen," Connor said, also falling to the floor beside him.

"Connor?"

"Connor, we need this anomaly closed!" Matt yelled, a frown on his face.

Becker moved forward, closing the anomaly himself. Matt shot him an annoyed glance, but Becker ignored him to move and kneel beside Abby. "Where are you injured?" He questioned, noticing Stephen's hands were holding his leg.

He let out a pained chuckle. "Everywhere."

"We need to take him to the ARC." Becker said, seeing the bloody wounds covering the attractive man.

"We thought you were dead! You were dead!" Abby said, slightly hysterical.

"Nope." Stephen gasped, his eyes rolling back in pain.

"Right." Becker muttered, scooping the man up against him and moving toward the door. "Someone grab my gun."


	2. Chapter 2

"What exactly did you all bury?" Matt questioned later that afternoon, looking at Connor and Abby.

"We thought it was him." Abby said, swallowing hard. "What was left of him. But-"

"You found his shirt." Becker cut in, nodding his head as he remembered the report he had read a few years before. "He had a long sleeved dress shirt on over his t-shirt. You found the dress shirt."

Abby nodded, resting her head against Connor's shoulder. They were all sitting in one of the hallways in the ARC- the hallway right outside medical as they waited for news. Lester had appeared shortly after we brought Stephen in, pushing his way inside the medical room and telling everyone to stay out. They had been waiting for a little over two hours now.

"I just can't believe it." Connor said, his voice soft and full of wonder. "I don't understand."

"Neither do I." Abby muttered.

"And we won't until we can talk to him." Matt told them. Becker ignored all of them, staring at the door to medical. Stephan Hart. It was odd. All day today, he had been thinking about the ex-ARC member. And now, here he was. Alive.

The door slowly opened, and Lester walked into the hall, his eyebrows raised. "I'm sure you all have something better to do than this. Because I am sure this is not what I am paying you for."

Abby and Connor rose to their feet. "How's Stephen?"

"Sleeping." Lester replied, his eyes softening slightly as he looked at her. "But he'll be fine. Tomorrow we'll have a chance to talk to him. He's been sedated tonight. So I suggest you all head home."

Abby nodded as Connor pulled her closer to him. "Okay."

Becker slowly rose to his feet. He wouldn't be going anywhere tonight. His desk was still overflowing with paperwork, and he had training with his men early. If he was lucky, he might be able to catch a few minutes sleep on the couch.

The rest of the team headed home and Becker finally started on the paperwork waiting for him. But the man in medical kept popping into his mind. After a few hours of this, Becker let out a deep sigh and looked at the clock. Two a.m.

He stood, popping the kink in his back, then finally gave into temptation and headed toward the room he kept thinking about. It was just to check on the man, it didn't mean anything. Just to check and make sure everything was okay. It was his job, after all.

He opened the door quietly and made his way into the room. Stephen was asleep, his breathing deep. Becker noticed the cuts on his face had been cleaned, only two of them requiring stitches. One above his eye and another on his left cheek. His right leg was encased in a cast, and there were bandages on his arms and chest. Becker slowly sank into the chair beside the bed, staring at the bruised face. Why was he even here? He didn't even know Stephen Hart. Sure, he had been oddly obsessed with the man when he had heard about him, but that had passed.

Why would a man like this be with Helen Cutter? He didn't understand that. Abby had always said Stephen was attractive, and Becker hadn't doubted her. But Stephen was more than just attractive. A lot more.

But Becker had met Helen. And he didn't understand.

"You were there with Abby and Connor." A voice gasped, making Becker sit up quickly.

Stephen's eyes were open. Becker swallowed hard when the bright blue stared at him curiously. "You should be asleep." Becker muttered.

Stephen let out a painful sounding laugh and Becker moved to get a glass of water. "I'm not sure how to take that." Stephen gasped as he slowly took the glass from Becker's hand. He tried to sit up and fell back. Becker moved behind him and helped him into a position that was more comfortable. "Thanks." He said, drinking the water deeply.

"So," He said, holding the glass back out to Becker. "You are?"

"Captain Becker." Becker replied, settling back in his chair and making sure to keep the water close, just in case. "I started shortly after your…"

"Supposed death?" Stephen chuckled, closing his eyes in pain. "Yeah. So, you can tell me what I've missed then."

Becker shifted. "I don't think that-"

"I know Lester said we could all talk in the morning." Stephen said, cutting him off, "But I have a feeling I'll be doing most of the talking. I'd like to know what I'm getting myself into before then. Less of a shock, I think."

Becker stared at him for a moment, then nodded. "Like I said, I was hired to replace Captain Ryan shortly after your…disappearance." Stephen chuckled again and Becker let out a smirk. "The team was still trying to get over everything that happened-"

"What happened to Nick?" Stephen said, cutting him off. He must have seen a glint in Becker's eyes because he nodded. "I know something happened. Otherwise he would have been here. So?"

Becker took a deep breath. "Professor Cutter was killed a few months after you. Helen Cutter shot him."

Stephen stared at him with wide eyes, barely breathing. "Helen? Helen killed Nick?"

Becker nodded slowly. "She also blew up the ARC. We had to rebuild." Seeing the confused look on the man's face, Becker explained a little more. "Helen had a man cloned, the clones were bred to only listen to her voice. She took over the ARC, locked us all up. It turned out that she had also cloned Professor Cuttor. She had an artifact that she said was important, she wanted the Professor to tell her what it was. He didn't know but she didn't believe him. She said the ARC destroyed the future. When the bomb went off in ARC, we all got out. Professor Cutter realized Helen was still inside so he went after her. She was okay- she shot him, killed him. But she didn't get the artifact. The Professor had it and he gave it to Connor, told him to figure out what it was."

"And did he?" Stephen questioned, his face lined with pain.

Becker nodded. "A map. Of anomalies. It predicted them."

"Where is it?"

"Helen took it. Managed to get into the ARC. Connor, Abby, and Danny-"

"Danny?"

"He was the team lead after Professor Cutter." Becker explained, feeling more and more like he shouldn't be doing this. "Anyway, the three of them found Helen in an anomaly in the future. She had decided that the human race needed to be wiped clean."

"Oh god."

"She went back to the first humans, poisoned their water supply. Well, that was the plan. She didn't get all of them. Connor and Abby got stuck in the Cretaceous era, Connor was hurt, so Danny went on without them. He stopped Helen."

"Is she dead?" Stephen questioned, voice hard.

"Yes."

"Good."

"But Abby and Connor were trapped. So was Danny. I was here, with Sarah. She was another member of the team. I led four expeditions to get them back. All failed. Then Sarah was killed."

"I'm sorry."

"I didn't have any way left of trying to find them. Lester hired Matt and Jess. Matt's the Team Lead. Jess works the anomaly detector and gets us everywhere. Then, a year after they disappeared, Connor and Abby reappeared through an anomaly."

"How did they manage that?" Stephen questioned, shock clear on his face.

"Helen had this…thing. I don't know what it was, a hand held piece of equipment that could open anomalies." Stephen moved in shock, wincing after he did so. Becker winced in sympathy. "Apparently, she somehow managed to loose hers before she left. Connor found it, barely managed to get it working again. I was never so shocked." Becker said, shaking his head at the memory.

"I bet." Stephen commented, frowning. "What else?"

Becker hesitated. "Well, when Abby and Connor were…gone, we got a…well, a partner I guess. Money wise, I mean. Philip Burton."

"The scientist?"

"Yeah." Becker took a deep breath, then started to explain. About Connor, about New Dawn. The anomalies. Matt. Stephen just stared at him, shaking his head.

"Wow." Stephen said as Becker stopped speaking. "Wow. Anything else I missed?"

"Um, Connor and Abby are engaged."

Stephen let out a surprised laugh. "That's great! Not something I was expecting, but good."

Becker laughed lightly, remembering how Abby and Connor were when he started here. "Yeah, that is something that has changed."

"What about Jenny?" Stephen questioned.

Becker let a real smile cross his face. "Jenny left the ARC when Danny joined the team."

Stephen let out a relieved sigh. "I guess she didn't want to be here without Nick."

Becker just nodded. "Actually, we had an anomaly a few months ago that ran us into her. It was at her wedding."

Stephen laughed loudly, gasping as he did so. "That's just her luck." He muttered, smiling as he shook his head. He let out a sigh, then slowly started to shift on the bed. Becker stood, helping the man lie back on the bed. "Thanks again." He said, letting out a small smile and closing his eyes. "I guess those sedatives are working."

Becker felt another smile take over his face. "Right. I guess I'll let you sleep then."

Stephen nodded, blinking at him sleepily. "Night, Captain."

"Just Becker."

"Night Becker."

"Goodnight Hart."


	3. Chapter 3

"Did you sleep at all, Becker?" Jess asked, looking at him worriedly.

"I'm fine, Jess." Becker replied, ignoring her question as he walked to Lester's office where the rest of the team- minus Jess who was walking behind him, were already gathered around Stephen.

"Nice of you to join us, Captain." Lester said, raising an eyebrow.

"Training." Becker said shortly, leaning against a wall. Abby and Connor were both fussing over Stephen, Abby looking closely at the stitches and Connor waving his hands around nervously. Stephen was smiling at them, looking back and forth in amusement. Matt and Emily were both watching, smiles on their faces.

"Now we can begin." Lester said, giving Becker an annoyed glance once again as Jess moved into the room and took the last open chair. Stephen glanced at her briefly before turning those blue eyes on Becker for the first time that day. Stephen gave him a smirk and a nod, then looked at Lester. Becker was left feeling oddly disappointed. "So, apparently you know an awful lot about what has happened here the last five years." Lester said dryly, once again glancing at Becker, "I think we should know about you."

Stephen shrugged his shoulders. "Not much to say. I was in that room, the Predators were after me. I hit the button to close the door to keep them in the room…then an anomaly appeared. I tried to make my way toward it, but I kept getting caught. At one point I remember throwing my shirt over one of their heads and running toward the anomaly. Then I was here."

Lester was nodding. "Well then. I guess it would be unwise to wish for a little more information." He turned to Jess, giving her an expectant look. "Do you have anything to say?"

Jess looked at him innocently for a moment, than shrugged sheepishly. "Stephen Hart is no longer dead. There isn't any evidence or records that anything happened five years ago. According to records, you decided to leave the country- which isn't odd, considering your travel record. You returned yesterday. I have a new back account set up for you, as well as all of your personal records."

Stephen was looking at her with a shocked, yet pleased expression. "Thank you. You must be Jess." He stated, glancing over her shoulder to Becker. Becker nodded as Jess blushed. Becker saw Connor and Abby exchange a knowing glance that made Becker feel slightly uncomfortable- for reasons he didn't know.

"It was no problem. Couldn't have you legally dead and walking around."

Abby and Connor both chuckled. "True." Stephen agreed, a smirk once again on his face.

"Well, if that's all taken care of." Lester said, sitting in his chair and looking at Stephen carefully. "I would like to offer you a position on the team. It is different than it was before, and Matt is the team lead and you would listen to him. Not like Cutter where the two of you argued over what to do and you ignored what he said-"

"Now, wait a moment." Matt said, frowning. "Stephen was on the original team, like Connor and Abby. I might be the lead but I don't-"

"You don't know Mr. Hart." Lester said, cutting Matt off and staring at Stephen with a cold look.

"I agree." Stephen said, his face hard. "Matt's lead. I get it."

"See? We can all get along fine." Lester said, smirking. "Now, I believe this meeting is over. Stephen, I trust you can find something to do. Some of the things you had started before your…departure were never finished before the lab was destroyed. Maybe you can restart them." Lester motioned toward the door, and everyone started to move out while exchanging amused glances.

Becker waited until Stephen got himself out of the chair and slowly started moving toward the door before pushing himself off of the wall. "Alright?" Becker questioned.

"As well as I could be." Stephen replied, a sarcastic smile on his face. "So, what do you have for a shooting range?"

Becker let out a smile. "Ah, I had forgot about that. They said you could beat me. Want to test it out?"

Stephen laughed, "You're on."

An hour later, Becker was shaking his head as Stephen smiled triumphantly. "I admit, you win." Becker said, staring at the man in front of him. "I'm impressed."

"Yeah, well, you aren't horrible." Stephen said, giving Becker a small smile. "You made it harder for me to win than most."

Becker let out a sarcastic chuckle. "Oh, well, thanks then."

Stephen laughed, pushing himself away from the wall and wincing as he placed his weight on his bad leg. "I guess I should go and see exactly which things Lester was referring to."

Becker nodded, slightly disappointed to see the man go. "Right, well, I have my own paperwork to do. So, I guess-"

"Would you mind if I brought some work into your office?" Stephen asked, his blue eyes twinkling as he looked into Becker's hazel. "I mean, I don't have one anymore, and a quiet place where people aren't staring-"

"Sure." Becker said quickly, not wanting to be away from the other man. Wait. What?

"Great. I'll be there later then."

"Alright." Becker agreed, quickly making his way out of the room and into his office. He closed the door behind him, then sank into the chair and placed his head in his hands. What the hell was going on with him?

"Becker?" Abby said, swinging the door open, "Everything okay?"

Becker straightened instantly. "Fine, why?"

Abby rolled her eyes as she moved into the room. "You're acting…odd. Stephen told me you told him about what happened-"

"Right, sorry about that-"

"The thing is, I know you had training today at four. So, when exactly did you have time to speak with Stephen?"

Becker kept his face blank and stared at Abby. She had a knowing smirk on her face that irritated him. "Stephen tells me that he's going to work in here- until we find an office for him." Her smirk grew. "Something you want to tell me?"

"Abby, I have no idea what you're talking about."

Abby laughed, "Right." She stood, looking at the small table Becker had in his office. "I guess that's Stephen's desk?" She chuckled as she walked out of the room.

Becker let out a sigh, staring down at the paperwork he still hadn't completed. "She doesn't know anything. Ignore her." What was he talking about? Ignore what? Know what?

Paperwork, he needed to do paperwork.

Four reports later, he was grateful for the knock on his door. "Come in." Becker called, closing his eyes tightly in hope that it would help his pounding head. He opened his eyes when he heard a chuckle.

"I'm guessing your aren't a paperwork kind of guy." Stephen Hart said, smirking as he leaned against the doorframe.

Becker eyed the stack of folders in Stephen's hands in distaste. "You would be correct. What is all of that?"

"Reports over the last few years- ones I wanted to read a little closer." Stephen replied, a twinkle in his blue eyes. "I had heard you were more of an Action Man."

Becker groaned. "Connor needs to keep his mouth closed."

Stephen chuckled, limping forward into the room and collapsing on the chair in front of Becker's desk. "You sure you're okay with this? I'm sure there are other places-"

Becker waved a hand, "Its fine. There's the table over there if you want to spread out."

Stephen merely nodded, not bothering to move to the table. He set the files on the floor and grabbed the one on the top, then opened it and began to read. Becker watched as the man's eyes traveled over the words for a moment, then turned his eyes back to his own paperwork. They worked in comfortable silence for the next hour, Becker only looking up when Stephen let out a gasp, or shifted in his chair. Becker noticed the longer Stephen sat in the hard chair, the more pain he seemed to be in.

"I have a couch." Becker finally said, motioning to the other half of the room. "You might be comfortable."

Stephen nodded. "Yeah, probably."

Becker felt a smile flicker over his face as Stephen continued to read the report, not moving from the chair. He turned back to his own report, frowning at the words in front of him. "I'm sorry about Sarah." Stephen said, staring at the report. "After all the two of you did trying to find Connor and Abby- I'm sorry."

Ah. So that was the report Stephen had been reading so intently. "I'm sorry about Professor Cutter."

Stephen nodded, glancing up from the report with cold eyes. "I can't believe Helen would do that. I just- I see now, after these reports, just how much she had been playing a game with me. I just-"

"I was warned about Helen Cutter as soon as I stepped foot in the ARC." Becker told him quietly. "After what happened to you. But you knew Helen before all of this. Before the anomalies-"

Stephen shook his head. "Helen was always a bitch." He told Becker bluntly. "I just- had a hard time seeing just how much she was capable of. Nick never had that problem."

"Professor Cutter saw more than most." Becker acknowledged, glancing at the clock on his desk. "It's almost eight, we should head home."

Stephen nodded, looking back at the report. "I need to find an apartment."

Becker winced. "Right. Are you going to stay with Abby and Connor?"

Stephen nodded, a sarcastic smirk crossing his face. "Yeah. Not that I know where that is now."

"I'm sure Connor is still here. He's been working after the rest leave for months now." Becker said, his mind flashing back to the weeks before New Dawn.

Stephen nodded, wincing as he started to stand. "I'll see you in the morning."

Becker nodded, glancing down at the diminished pile of papers on his desk. "I'm just going to drop these off and then I'll head home."

Stephen nodded, a smirk crossing his features as he walked out the door. Becker stared after him curiously, wondering what the smirk had been for as he replayed the last few minutes over. No, no reason for the smirk. He sighed, rubbing a tired hand over his face. Maybe he was just tired.

Becker was heading to his truck when he heard his name being called. He turned, recognizing Connor's voice instantly. "Becker! Don't forget about tomorrow! Dinner at ours- we're all out of here at five!"

Becker nodded, noticing the amused look on Stephens face as he did so. "I won't forget Connor." Becker said tiredly, knowing he would most likely get another three of four reminders in the morning.

"Okay! And we're going to celebrate Stephen's coming home too! Isn't it funny that he came back almost exactly a year after Abby and I did?"

"Funny." Becker replied dryly, opening his truck door and climbing in.

"Right." Connor said, looking slightly put out. "Well, see you in the morning then."

"Night Connor, Hart."

Becker shut his door before Connor could say anything else. He didn't want to be rude to the young man, but he was tired and just wanted to get some much needed sleep.

Instead, he stared up at the ceiling in his bedroom, his mind rushing over the last couple of days as he tried to force himself to sleep. He hadn't had trouble sleeping since before he was deployed, why should he have trouble now? But every time he shut his eyes, he saw a pair of blue ones staring back at him.

He sighed as he rolled over. Stephen Hart had been back for two days, and already he was killing him.


	4. Chapter 4

Becker arrived early at the ARC, knowing that he looked even worse than he did the day before. After a night of tossing and turning, he had eventually given up and began cleaning his flat- something else he had been putting off. Not that he was ever home long enough to make too much of a mess, but when he was he never seemed to really clean up what mess he did make.

"Becker!" Abby said happily, stepping in front of him as soon as he stepped out of his truck. She blinked in surprise at his appearance, "Not a good night?"

Becker nodded, moving around her. "I didn't sleep well."

"I can tell." Abby chided, falling into step beside him and looking at him worriedly. "You seem to be having that problem a lot lately."

Becker kept his face smooth as he shrugged his shoulders. "I'm used to it." He replied, holding the door open for her.

"Still planning on coming tonight?" Abby questioned with a frown.

"I told Connor I would." Becker nodded, mentally marking a tally for how many times that question would come up in the day.

"Yes, but you look like you could use some extra time for sleep."

"I'm fine, Abby." Becker sighed, stepping around the blonde girl and pushing into his office.

Only to stop short when he saw Stephen sprawled out on his sofa, a file open in his hands. His black t-shirt had ridden up slightly to reveal a small strip of skin of his stomach above his dark jeans. "Good morning." Stephen remarked, glancing away from the file. He blinked in surprise, than rose an eyebrow. "Rough night?"

"You could say that." Becker muttered, moving to his desk and staring at the unfinished reports with annoyance. He sank into his chair and looked up to see Stephen still staring at him. "Maybe you should skip the dinner tonight."

Becker sighed. "I just had this conversation with Abby."

Stephen chuckled. "Yeah, and I'm willing to bet that she said the same thing."

Becker let out a week chuckle. "You would win. But I'm used to it. I'll be fine and I'll get sleep tonight."

Stephen studied him for a moment before slowly nodding. "Alright. But you have to let me drive you to Abby and Connor's- and agree to stay there tonight. Just so I know you don't fall asleep and crash."

Becker looked at him in surprise. "And Connor and Abby-"

"Won't want to see you crash, either." Stephen said, cutting him off. "I'm not a horrible driver, Becker. I promise not to destroy your truck."

Becker let out another surprised chuckle. "Better not, I just got that truck. The last one Matt drove into an anomaly."

Stephen chuckled. "Right, I read about that." He said, holding up the file he was reading. The smile slid off of his face as he looked back toward the report. "I understand what Connor was trying to do- what Philip was trying to do. But they went about it all wrong."

Becker shook his head instantly. "Messing with something like that- it was completely out of control. Making tech to close them is one thing. Tech to _open_ them is completely different."

"I agree." Stephen said instantly. "I didn't say we _should_. I just said if we were going to, the way they did it was wrong."

Becker let a soft, real smile cross his face. Stephen returned the smile instantly- and Becker felt his breath hitch. He blinked in surprise and shock.

"You alright?" The question came instantly.

"Fine." Quick reply. "Anyway, shouldn't I be asking you that? How is your…everything?"

Stephen sent him a wicked smirk as he chuckled, and Becker felt his face heat up. "_Everything_ is fine."

Becker tried to think of a reply, but was saved by a knock on the door. Only a second later, Jess walked in with a cup clenched in her hand. "Becker. Abby told me you might need this." She said quietly, with a hesitant smile on her face. She placed he cup in front of him and Becker smelt the coffee.

"Thanks, Jess." Becker told her gratefully, picking up the cup and taking a drink of the hot liquid.

Jess blushed, moving nervously around the room, then gasped in surprise when she noticed Stephen on the couch. Stephen, who Becker saw was not looking very happy. "Oh! I'm sorry, I didn't know you were in here."

"It's fine. I could step out if you two need a moment." Stephen said, his voice harder that Becker had ever heard from the man.

Becker glanced at him in alarm as Jess blushed a bright red. "No, no it's fine. I just- you're still coming tonight?" Jess questioned.

Becker sighed, adding another tally. "Yes."

Jess cleared her throat, not looking at Becker and instead staring at the floor. "Well, if you are to- I mean, if you need someone to drive you or-"

"Thanks Jess, but Stephen's already offered." Becker told her quickly, thankful for the request the other man had made only moments before. Not that it had been much of a request. More like an order…

Since when did Becker take orders from a man he just met?

"Oh. Oh, okay." Jess said, making her way to the door quickly and disappearing while closing the door behind her.

"You could have gone with her." Stephen said, his face void of any emotion. "I mean, I wasn't aware that you two were-"

"We aren't." Becker said quickly, slightly panicked that Stephen would think he was with Jess. Actually, he wanted to make it very clear that he wasn't in a relationship. With anyone. "Just friends."

Stephen's eyebrows rose. "Really? She seemed a little…friendly."

Becker shrugged, feeling a flush cross his face as he looked down at his paperwork and shifting it around on his desk. Might as well _try_ to look nonchalant. "Just a crush. It'll fade."

There was silence for a few minutes, minutes where Becker was forcing himself not to look at the other man, then Stephen spoke once again. "And how long has she had this…crush?"

Becker winced. "Um, since she started at the ARC?"

Silence once again. Becker glanced up to see Stephen staring at the report in front of him, his eyes not moving over the paper and his jaw clenched. Neither man said a word the remainder of the morning.

Stephen went to lunch around noon with Abby, while Becker went down to the armory to go over the inventory with a few of his men. He had only been there for about an hour when he felt someone come up behind him. "You seem to be getting along well with Stephen." Matt's soft voice said.

Becker nodded, not looking up from the inventory sheet he was looking over. "He's a good guy. Smart- and he knows how to use a gun."

Matt chuckled. "Yeah, I heard about that." He said, sending Becker a smirk. "The way Abby and Connor talk about the guy, you would think he walked on water."

Becker shrugged, not knowing where this was going. "Like I said, nice guy."

Matt just nodded, leaning back against the wall and staring at him for a few minutes. "You still going to Connor and Abby's?"

"Yeah." Becker sighed, tally number three.

"Good. If it stays like this I might head out early."

"Just don't disappear." Becker said, thinking back to when Matt would go offline and he'd be left alone.

"I won't." Matt sent Becker one last searching look, then headed out of the armory.

Becker sighed. Was it just him, or did the other members of the ARC suddenly seem to have way to much interest in his personal life? 


	5. Chapter 5

The rest of the day passed quickly, Becker training with his men, Connor working on some tech- Matt was supervising every so often, just in case, Abby was in the menagerie, and Stephen had taken over Becker's office. Becker had only seen him for a moment, long enough to tell him he could use the desk if he needed, then went to meet his men.

By four forty-five, Becker was grateful that Stephen had insisted on driving him to the dinner. He walked into his office, blinking slowly to try and stop the burn in his eyes. "Ready to go?" Stephen asked casually, looking up from where he sat behind Becker's desk.

Becker nodded, leaning against the wall and closing his eyes yet again. "Anytime you are." Becker replied.

"Alright, you need sleep." Stephen chuckled, standing and closing the reports. He moved them to the corner of Becker's desk that wasn't taken up with Becker's things, then grabbed his jacket. "Keys?"

Becker pushed himself off the wall and took his own jacket off the back of the chair. He grabbed the keys from the pocket and tossed them to the other man. Stephen limped to the door, motioning for Becker to go ahead. Becker rolled his eyes, leading the way into the parking garage. "Meet you guys there!" Connor said, smiling brightly as they passed.

Stephen chuckled, pressing his hand between Becker's shoulder blades as they walked. Becker stiffened for a moment, his breath frozen in his chest. Stephen's hand slowly started to move, massaging in a circular motion. Becker relaxed, pressing back into the touch.

Stephens hand pressed a little harder as they walked toward Becker's truck. Becker felt the heat from his hand through his light shirt, his breathing becoming harder. "This it?" Stephen questioned, his voice low. Becker nodded, pulling open the passenger door and climbing in. Stephen got in beside him only a second later, starting the truck and pulling away. "So, you spent a lot of time training today."

Becker shrugged, closing his eyes and leaning back against the seat. "Need to make sure everyone's at their best."

"I can see that." Stephen said softly, glancing at Becker with a frown. "Are you sure you want to go tonight? I could just take you home."

"I'm fine." Becker said, though he felt something in his chest shift at the concern he heard in Stephen's voice. "Really. I'm used to it."

"And that doesn't make me feel any better." Stephen muttered.

Becker opened his eyes and sent a scowl at the other man. "Shouldn't I be the one worried about you?" He asked, waving his hand at Stephen's leg and looking at the stitches on his face.

Stephen shrugged. "Worry about me all you want. Won't bother me any." He sent a smirk at Becker, and Becker swallowed hard. Was Stephen…flirting with him?

"Fine, I will." Becker muttered, ignoring the light chuckle he heard from beside him. "You know that you're off field duty until you're fully healed, right?"

Stephen shot him an amused glance. "I figured it would probably have to wait until the cast comes off. Only a few weeks."

"And until I know for sure you're fully healed." Becker muttered again, not caring if the man's leg was still in a cast or not. It could be out of a cast, but not strong enough yet.

Stephen just laughed. "Yes, Captain."

They were silent for only a few more minutes, then Becker cleared his throat. "Are you okay? I don't mean the physical stuff. I mean…Cutter, and Jenny, and Helen."

Stephen didn't answer him at first, his hands tightening on the steering wheel until his knuckles turned white. "Its…different. I keep expecting to turn around and see Nick, or hear Jenny's heels. Actually, every time Jess walks into the room I look up expecting to see Jenny. And Helen-" He broke off and Becker swallowed hard when he realized that to the man beside him, Helen had been alive a few days ago- and he had been sleeping with her on a regular basis.

Becker's own hands clenched at the thought. He felt anger swell in his chest at the thought of Stephen and that woman…together.

"Helen was different before she disappeared." Stephen finally said, his voice soft. "I was different. I thought I was in love with her. But when she came back, I hated myself for what I did to Nick. And then Nick was already mad at me, and we were fighting about the ARC, about the anomalies, and Helen was telling me all these things that were messing with my head…" He shook his head, not looking at Becker. "I regret it. I didn't have the best relationship with Nick, and now I don't have a chance to change that. And Helen- Helen wasn't worth any of it."

"No, she wasn't." Becker said, staring at the man hard. "I only met Helen a few times- but none of them ever left me with the best impression."

"I read about them. They wouldn't." Stephen said, shrugging his shoulders. "Though, truthfully, she never gave a good impression. I just couldn't see it."

Becker didn't speak as Stephen pulled into a parking spot at Connor and Abby's building. Matt and Emily were just getting out of Matt's car as they pulled in. "Hey." Matt greeted, wrapping an arm around Emily's waist as Becker climbed out of the truck.

"You must be Stephen." Emily said, holding out a hand as Stephen walked around the truck. Stephen grasped it gently in his own. "I'm Emily."

"I've read about you. Nice to meet you." Stephen told her, smiling brightly.

Matt sent the man a smile, motioning to the building. "I guess we should go in. Jess and Abby left early today to cook- wouldn't want to be late."

The four of them headed toward the door as Connor pulled in. They all paused as Connor parked Abby's car and ran up beside them, shooting them all a wide grin. "Sorry, I was working on a new project- nothing dangerous." He said quickly, flushing at the startled looks everyone shot him.

Stephen flashed his old friend and grin, patting him on the back. "Just let us know before you do anything." He chuckled.

Connor smiled sheepishly, "Right. Maybe you could help me on a few things? I mean, I haven't had anyone to work on things with since Sarah and Professor-"

"Sure." Stephen replied evenly, though Becker saw him wince as the word _Professor_ passed Connor's lips. Matt glanced at Becker quickly, letting him know he had also seen it. "I can come by tomorrow."

Connor let out a bright grin once again and led the way into his flat. "Everyone is here!" Connor hollered, holding the door open for everyone. Emily instantly went into the kitchen as Becker, Stephen, Matt, and Connor camped out in the front room. "How's the reading, Stephen?" Matt asked, leaning back in the chair and locking his eyes on the unfamiliar man.

Stephen lifted his bad leg up, resting it on the table in front of the couch where he was sitting. Becker felt himself shift toward the man as the couch shifted. "It's filling in a lot of things."

"Like?"

"Like a lot of things." Stephen said evasively. He shifted once again, obviously in discomfort. No one said anything as the girls came back into the room. Abby perched beside Connor on the love seat, while Matt shifted enough on the chair that Emily fit in beside him. Jess hovered uncertainly for a moment, and Becker moved to the middle of the couch, letting Jess take his spot on the end. Jess sat beside him with a smile. Becker shifted slightly, a little uncomfortable with how close Jess was. Stephen shot him a smirk, moving over a little so Becker could shift closer to him.

Becker felt his heart skip a beat and he kept his face carefully blank. "Relax." Stephen muttered so only Becker could hear him. Becker shot him an irritated glance and Stephen chuckled.

"So Stephen, what are you planning to do now?" Emily questioned, looking at him quizzically.

Stephen shrugged, shifting as he did so. His shoulder lightly pressed against Becker's and Becker swallowed hard. There was amusement in Stephen's voice as he replied. "Flat hunting, first of all. No need to put out Connor and Abby any longer than I have too."

"You aren't putting us out!" Abby protested.

"Yeah, mate. Stay as long as you like." Connor told him.

Stephen smiled at them. "Thanks, but I need to find something. Lester gave me a couple years back pay, so that shouldn't be an issue. And I have to get a car."

"I suppose you wouldn't have had the time to do any of that." Emily said, nodding her head.

"I can help you find a flat." Jess said softly, leaning forward so she could see him around Becker. "I can look a few things up, do some research."

Stephen smiled at her, but Becker could see that it was a little forced. "Thanks, but I'm going to look around my old place. I liked it there."

Jess leaned back, small frown on her face. "So, how is everything going, Jess? Quiet at home now that Abby and Connor left?" Becker asked her quietly as everyone else kept asking Stephen questions.

Jess's face lit up. "A little to quiet. I got used to Connor being up till early morning watching his shows, and Abby waking him up in the mornings. It's a little _lonely _now."

Becker gave her a soft look. "I wouldn't know about that, I'm usually not home long enough to feel lonely."

Jess smiled at him, her eyes bright. "Well, if you have time, you could always come over and keep me company." She blushed brightly, biting the corner of her lip.

Becker opened his mouth to reply, to try and let her down gently, when Stephen sat straight up, his face blank, and he leaned around Jess. "Maybe it wouldn't be so bad for you to help me find something." He said, his voice enthusiastic- not that the enthusiastic was real. His eyes were cold as he looked from Becker to Jess. "If you have the free time, that is."

Jess smiled at him nervously as Becker shot Stephen a glare. He had no reason to be rude to Jess- not that she had realized he was. "Sure! I can get you some information tomorrow."

"Thanks." Stephen told her, still with that fixed smile on his face.

"We should check on the food." Abby said quickly, standing and walking toward the kitchen. She grabbed Jess's arm on the way, pulling her along. Emily frowned, following the two quickly.

"She's just trying to help." Becker said quietly as Connor and Matt continued talking. "You don't need to be rude."

"I wasn't." Stephen snapped, glaring lightly, "And what were you doing? I thought you didn't like Jess."

"I don't." Becker snapped back.

"Then what was that?" Stephen said, shifting away from him so the warmth of his shoulder was gone. Becker winced at the sudden shocking cold.

"I was just being nice. I was going to tell her no before you cut in."

"Well, apparently she hasn't got it the other times you've said no, so I figured I'd just cut in." Stephen replied stiffly.

"Everything alright?" Matt said, cutting into their quiet argument.

"Fine." Both men replied together, moving further away from each other.

"Time to eat." Abby announced, smiling brightly. Becker saw her concerned eyes flash between him and Stephen for a moment, before turning to Connor. Connor shrugged, obviously thinking he was being secretive. Becker rolled his eyes as he stood, grabbing Stephen's arm and pulling him to his feet. As soon as Stephen was standing, Becker dropped his arm and moved into the kitchen.

Dinner was lively, Connor, Abby, Matt, and Emily all laughing and joking. They all questioned to Stephen, who replied with a fake smile plastered on his face. Jess and Becker were both quiet, laughing at the right moments, answering questions when needed. Becker was exhausted, his eyelids drooping every few seconds.

"Alright, I'm going to take Becker to the guest room before he passes out at the table." Stephen said, making Becker open his eyes instantly.

"Oh, I could take him home." Jess said softly, giving Becker a soft smile.

"I made him promise he would stay here." Stephen told her quickly, though far more nicely than he had earlier that night. "Just so we know he slept this time."

"Oh." Jess replied softly, a frown on her face as her eyes darted between the two.

"Thanks, Jess." Becker told her softly before turning to Abby and Connor. "If that's alright with you two."

Connor and Abby exchanged yet another glance. Becker was getting really tired of that. "It's fine. Where are you planning on sleeping, Stephen?"

Stephen shrugged. "The couch is fine."

Becker frowned. "I'm not going to make you sleep on the couch. You're hurt. I could have Jess just-"

"You're staying here." Stephen replied, his eyes narrowing. "Stop arguing with me."

Becker followed him down the hall, ignoring the laughs that rang out behind him. 


	6. Chapter 6

Becker woke feeling like his mouth was stuffed with cotton. He stretched out slowly, feeling me muscles stretch happily. He hadn't slept that well in…a long time. Maybe since before Professor Cutter…

"Watch the leg." A sleepy voice muttered.

Becker froze, rolling over slowly, only to see Stephen stretched out on the bed, his eyes closed and his breathing steady. "You said not to sleep on the couch." He said, his eyes blinking open as he moved to stretch out.

"You told me not to argue." Becker muttered, lying back on the bed and closing his eyes.

"Yes, and you took orders very well, Captain." Stephen smirked, sitting up and moving to he was leaning against the headboard. Becker kept his eyes closed, not wanting to have to leave the bed he had slept so well in. "I'm sorry. About yesterday. I didn't mean to be…well, me, with Jess. I just- she was irritating me."

Becker chuckled, still keeping his eyes closed. "She does that. You'll need to get used to it."

Stephen chuckled. "Great, are you going to get pissed at me every time I snap at her?"

Becker opened his eyes a crack, seeing the un-amused look on Stephens face. "I just don't understand it. She didn't do anything to you."

There was silence once again. Stephen sighed, then slowly leaned over closer to Becker. "She didn't do anything to me. I just…had some issues with what she was implying."

Becker's eyes opened fully, and he stared into the blue ones only inches above his own. "Implying what?"

"She wants you…and you weren't doing anything to discourage her." Stephen said harshly, his eyes glittering with annoyance.

"Jess- Jess is like my little sister. She just has trouble seeing it like that." Becker told him, his heart speeding up as Stephen leaned even closer to him.

"Maybe she just needs a little…demonstration." He whispered, leaning closer. Becker's eyes flickered down to the lips almost touching his own. Those lips smirked. Becker shivered as he felt warm breath touch his face as Stephen chuckled. "Maybe some practice…" He trailed off as he closed that remaining distance, pressing his lips against Becker's in a soft kiss. Becker pressed back, lifting his arm to wrap around the other man. Stephen groaned, pressing into the kiss deeper, letting his body be pulled to rest on top of Becker's. "Oh, fuck." Stephen muttered, burying his face into the crook of Becker's neck. "Fuck. I wanted to do that as soon as I saw you."

"I wanted to do that before I saw you." Becker muttered, thinking about his odd obsession with the once dead man. Who wasn't dead.

Stephen lifted his head up, a smirk on his face. "Oh, really?" His hands were on either side of Becker's head, his legs on either side of Becker's hips.

"Slight obsession." Becker admitted, grinning shamefully, "Read all reports."

Stephen chuckled, his head falling to rest once again on Becker's chest as he laughed. And kept laughing. Becker let his hand drift up to Stephens back, going under his t-shirt and tracing patterns on the smooth skin. Stephen shuddered. "Damn, don't stop that." He muttered, his own hands no longer holding him up so he was lying fully on top of Becker. Becker gasped at the feeling of Stephen's body pressed full against his, chests touching, legs entangled…and a hard bulge pressed against Becker's thigh. "Shit." He moaned, his own cock stirring. Stephen chuckled, moving his hips slightly and pressing himself more fully against Becker. His head came up, his lips once again securing themselves to Becker's own-

And then came a knock on the door. "Stephen? Becker? We're going to be late." Abby called, turning the door knob.

Stephen flew off of Becker faster that he thought possible, especially with a broken leg. "We're up, Abbs." Stephen called, shooting Becker a smirk.

"Alright." Abby said, pushing the door open. She looked at the two curiously for a moment, then smiled at Becker. "You look better. You should sleep here more often."

Becker coughed, startled, and Stephen looked at him amused. "Okay." Abby said, frowning slightly. "Anyway, I'm glad you're both awake. We need to get to the ARC."

Becker jumped up instantly, pulling his shoes on. "What happened?"

"Anomaly. Matt, Connor, and Emily are already heading there with some of your men. They're going to call if they need help."

Becker winced, "I should head over to-"

"You should go to the ARC like they have said." Stephen said, cutting him off and rolling his eyes. Becker sent him a glare, but Stephen just smiled.

"My men-"

"Have been trained by you and should be able to handle it with Connor and Matt." Stephen once again cut him off. He grabbed some clothes, throwing a Becker a black shirt and a pair of jeans. "Clean clothes. Brand new."

Becker pulled them in in annoyance. He was a soldier, he took orders when he had too, but he didn't have to take them from Stephen. And yet, he felt like he should try not to upset the other man.

"Are you pouting?" Stephen questioned from behind him, amusement in his voice. Becker turned his head and saw the smirk that crossed the other mans face.

"No." He snapped, running a hand through his hair to try and make it look a little more tamed. Stephen just chuckled, obviously not believing him. "There are extra tooth brushes under the sink." He said, motioning down the hall where Connor and Abby's bathroom was located.

Becker quickly brushed his teeth and ran a comb through his hair, then moved out of the way for Stephen to enter. He wandered into the kitchen, noticing Abby at the table eating breakfast. "Are we ready?" Abby asked, pushing the bowl away from her.

"Stephens almost finished." Becker replied, taking the chair across from her.

The two sat in silence for only a few minutes before Stephen swaggered in. "Ready?"

Becker and Abby stood and Stephen tossed Becker his keys. They all made their way to Becker's truck, Becker driving and Stephen sliding into the passenger seat, Abby in the back. "Are we sure we don't need to-"

"They said they would call us." Abby replied firmly, though Becker noticed that she had her phone clenched tightly in her hand.

Becker clenched his teeth together in annoyance, not liking leaving them out there alone he could easily help, but pulled out in the direction of the ARC anyway. Abby and Stephen chatted about random things, but Becker wasn't paying any attention. Stephen kissed him. And it was obvious that they had both liked it. Becker had always known he was bi- but there had been nothing to suggest that Stephen was.

"Becker?" Abby questioned, breaking him from his thoughts, "You alright?"

"Fine, why?"

"Because you just passed the ARC."

Becker cursed, turning the truck around sharply and ignoring the other drivers irritation. Abby was chuckling in the back, and Stephen had a pleased smirk on his face- bastard probably knew what had Becker so lost in thought.

Becker slammed the truck to a stop, jumping out quickly and heading to the control room. Stephen and Abby were both complaining under their breath about his driving as he left them in the parking garage.

"What do we have, Jess?" Becker asked instantly, moving up beside her.

She glanced at him with a hesitant smile. "It's under control. They have the creature and the anomaly has been locked. They're on their way back."

Becker's shoulders relaxed. "Good."

He made his way toward his office, only to be stopped by a smirking Stephen. "Feel better now?"

Becker rolled his eyes, pushing his office door open. "Just needed to check. Connor always manages to get himself into some sort of trouble. And Emily isn't any better."

Stephen chuckled, following him into the office and sitting on the corner of Becker's desk. "And are we going to mention what happened this morning?" He questioned, his hands latching onto Becker's waist.

Becker let out a deep sigh, moving closer to the body in front of him, "Not here." He muttered, resting his hands on Stephens shoulders.

"So where?" Stephen asked him quietly, his eyes locking with Becker's. "Tonight?"

Becker nodded, "Anomaly willing."

Stephen let out a deep laugh, pulling Becker closer and lightly pressing their lips together. "Alright then, I guess-"

"Stephen?" A voice called out, pushing the door open.

Becker cursed, moving away from the other man before anyone could see anything. Twice in one day…this was not going well.

Jess stepped into the room, a tentative smile on her face. "I have some flat listings for you." She told him, smiling hopefully as she held out a folder.

Stephen tried to smile through the annoyance on his face. It didn't come out very well. "Thank you, Jess. Any looking promising?"

Becker sent him an appreciative glance at the effort he was making as Jess's face lit up. She started talking to him about the different options, and Becker was glad to see the annoyance fading away. "I have a few things to take care of." Becker told them, moving from the room. Both waved to him, still continuing their conversation.

It was only an hour after the rest of the team got back that the anomaly alarm sounded again. "Where is it, Jess?" Matt asked, running into the control room with Becker on his heels. Abby, Connor, Emily, and Stephen were already there.

"It's in a church." Jess replied, frowning, "About half an hour away." She gave them the coordinates and the team left, running toward the trucks. Becker turned his head in time to see Jess hand Stephen a comm.

Becker and his men beat the rest- not a surprise with the way Becker drove. "I don't have a visual, Jess." Becker told her, his eyes scanning around the church.

"Matt and the rest are almost there." Came Jess's reply.

"All of you move around the area, make sure you don't see any evidence that anything came through." Becker ordered his men, seeing another truck appearing in the distance.

The truck stopped, the other four jumping out. "Anything?" Matt questioned.

"Nothing as of yet." Becker replied, moving beside Matt as they headed toward the entrance. The two had their EMT's ready, moving slowly through the church. "Anything?" Matt asked the team through the comms.

"This side is clear." Abby said, her Emily, and Connor having gone through the other doors.

Matt frowned. "Jess, does this place have a basement?"

"Yes, the stairs should be on your left."

Matt moved left, pulling open a door to find a narrow set of stairs. The two moved down, seeing the bright light as soon as they hit the basement floor. "We have visual. Basement." Becker said, his eyes scanning the room for any threats that had come through.

"On our way." Connor replied.

"No creatures that I can see." Matt said quietly, looking around.

Becker nodded, moving around the anomaly cautiously. There were rooms toward the back, and Becker motioned that he would check them out. Matt nodded, keeping his eyes firmly on the anomaly. The first two rooms showed nothing, so Becker moved on to the third. He looked around, not seeing anything. "Clear."

He turned, starting to make his way back to the anomaly, when something moved behind him. He turned sharply, raising his EMT. Nothing. He moved closer, to the middle of the room, his eyes taking in every little thing. Another noise behind him, Becker turned, only to feel something slice into his side, bringing him down to his knees with a cry. "Becker?" Multiple voices cried out, one of them unmistakably Stephens.

But Becker was busy, pushing his hand against the wound that was leaking blood at an alarming rate and trying to see what hit him. "Becker?" Abby's voice came again, this time worried.

"Incursion." Becker managed to gasp, his hand still clutching his gun tightly.

"Where?" Matt's voice asked quickly.

"Third room down the hall." Becker replied, blinking rapidly to try and stop the dizziness. He heard running footsteps, then gasps. Abby moved to his side, pressing her hand against the wound.

"He needs a doctor."

"What was it?" Matt asked, his eyes taking in his surroundings.

Becker shook his head in shame and annoyance. "Didn't see it."

They all froze at the sound of something moving. Matt moved to the left as Emily moved to the right. Becker gasped as Connor and Abby helped him to his feet. "Becker? Abby how is he?" Stephens voice rang out.

"He needs a doctor." Abby replied, moving toward the door slowly.

"Long gash in his side. Deep." Connor said, looking a little nauseous.

"I'm alright." Becker said quickly, wondering if he was the only one that noticed the panicked tone in Stephen's voice.

"Apparently not." Stephen snapped.

They were all stopped by the sound of shots being fired. Abby glanced at Connor, before moving Becker off of her and running back down the hall. Becker grimaced in pain as Connor attempted to keep him standing. "We got it." Matt's voice rang out. "Raptor. He must have used his claws to slash you."

Becker heard Stephen curse. "We'll put the raptor back through the anomaly, then close it up. Becker's men can double check around the area before they go, and we'll take Becker back to the ARC."

"Truck-"

"Forget the damn truck." Stephen snapped, "I'm sure your men can get it back to you in one piece."

Matt chuckled, taking the com from his ear. "You're going to have your hands full with that one." He muttered to Becker, helping the girls with the unconscious raptor. Becker looked at him in surprise, but Matt just rolled his eyes.

Abby was chuckling, as was Emily. Connor merely shrugged. "Can't keep things a secret for long around here, mate." 


	7. Chapter 7

Stephen was pacing- as much as he could with a broken leg- when they pulled up to the ARC. He was beside Becker's door instantly, a frown on his handsome face. "What happened to no one going anywhere alone?"

"It's till there." Matt commented, coming around the side of the truck and helping Stephen get Becker on his feet. "Becker just doesn't listen to it."

Stephen shot them both a disapproving glance while wrapping an arm around Becker's waist. "You're an idiot." He informed Becker, tightening his grasp on the other mans waist.

Becker blinked rapidly, trying not to loose consciousness. "We didn't think anything came through. And Matt was right there."

"Apparently not." Stephen snapped as Matt wrapped an arm around Becker's other side. Becker winced as they started moving them toward the door. Connor and Abby followed, while Emily went ahead to pull the door open for them.

"Ah, is the threat gone?" Lester questioned, raising an eyebrow at the Captain.

"Yes, sir." Becker said quickly as Stephen glared at Lester. Stephen continued on, pulling Becker and Matt with him on his way to Medical.

"Fine then! I want that report by the end of the day!"

Becker groaned. More paperwork, great. "Come on." Stephen said, staring down at Becker's side worriedly, "You're losing a lot of blood."

The three made their way into medical, where Becker was instantly led to a bed and fussed over. Stephen and Matt were both pushed out the door, being told they would find them later. Stephen glared at the closed door, his jaw clenched and eyes wild.

"He'll be fine." Matt said, clasping the other man's shoulder. "He's stubborn."

Stephen nodded, moving to sit in the open chair across from the door. Matt looked at him in amusement before heading toward the control room.

Inside the room, Becker had been knocked out with a very high does of medicine. He woke hours later, wincing as he pulled the stitches in his side. Well, he'd be out of training for the next week or so.

He sat up, gasping slightly at the pain shooting through his body, then grabbed is torn and bloody t-shirt with a grimace. "What the hell do you think you're doing?"

Becker froze, turning his head to see Stephen standing in the now open door, a cup of coffee in his hand and a glare on his face. "Lay down. Now."

Becker wondered if it was worth the effort to argue with the other man. One look at the anger in Stephen's eyes and the stubborn, clenched jaw told him it wasn't. Slowly, wincing yet again, he stretched back out on the bed, his hazel eyes not leaving the bright blue ones.

"You are supposed to be resting." Stephen told him, moving further into the room and closing the door behind him. Stephen walked to the chair beside Becker's bed, taking a sip of his coffee.

"Shouldn't you?" Becker asked, wincing at the dryness in his throat. "Be resting?"

Stephen's eyes narrowed. "I didn't get gashed by a raptor."

"Not today, but you did last week." Becker muttered, motioning to the still healing cuts on Stephen's face.

Stephen rolled his eyes, then stood. He carefully sat on the edge of the bed. "Seriously, you scared the hell out of me."

"Accident." Becker said, frowning at the anger he still saw in the other man's eyes.

"A stupid one." Stephen snapped, "Someone stays with you at all times. That's the main rule."

Becker opened his mouth, ready to tell the other man to get the hell out, but he stopped when Stephen's hand gently moved to Becker's chest, stroking lightly. "Just be more careful, huh? I just came here to find everything changed and the one person I feel...something for almost died."

Becker closed his mouth, frowning at the words. He saw the fear behind the anger on Stephen's face and almost felt ashamed. "I'll try to be more careful, but its my job, Stephen. It's yours too."

"No, your job is to protect us." Stephen protested, his hand moving to clench at Becker's. "Just like it was Captain Ryan's. And he died doing so. I don't want that to be you."

Becker closed his own fingers around Stephen's, shifting them slightly so their fingers were entangled. "Stephen, I'll do what I have to do. But, I'm damn good at my job and I swear I'll stay alive as long as I can."

Stephen sighed, his other hand coming up to rub against his eyes. "I know. I've read reports. Like you sacrificing yourself in the future to get Abby's brother to safety. Just- be careful, yeah?"

"Promise." Becker replied, shifting over on the bed to make more room. "Now, I wasn't kidding about you needing rest. Come on."

Stephen chuckled, spreading out on the space Becker had provided. His legs entangled with Becker's, and their entwined hands resting on Becker's chest. "You just want me to sleep with you."

"I do." Becker agreed, smirking as Stephen chuckled. "But, for the moment, that actually has to mean sleep. I don't think I'm up for more at the moment."

Stephen chuckled again, letting go of Becker's hand and moving it to trace lightly around the stitches in Becker's side. "Next time, at least answer me. I think Jess thought I was having a panic attack."

Becker let out a bark of laughter, wrapping his arm around Stephen and pulling him close to rest on his chest. "Sorry. Shock."

Stephen nodded, resting his head against Becker's shoulder and closing his eyes. They were both out only minutes later.

"You two really aren't very good at the secret thing, are you?" An amused voice asked, waking Becker instantly. He tried to sit up, only to fall back against the bed with a pained gasp.

"Idiot." Stephen remarked from beside him, startling Becker once again. Becker's eyes flew to him, only to see an amused smirk cross the other man's face. "Stop trying to get up." He turned his head, looking at the person that had woke them in the first place. "I wasn't aware we were keeping it a secret." Stephen remarked to Abby, lifting his arms over his head and stretching. Becker's eyes flew to the strip of skin than the motion revealed, feeling his face heat up as Abby giggled.

"Well good, because between dinner the other night, this, and Stephen's meltdown yesterday, I think everyone knows."

Becker winced, "Everyone?"

Stephen turned to him with a raised eyebrow. "Sorry, is that a problem?"

"Jess." Becker said shortly, knowing he was lighting Stephen's fuse as he did so.

He was right. Stephen's eyes narrowed in annoyance and his mouth opened, but Abby cut in quickly. "Don't worry about Jess. I spoke with her last night and she seemed to be okay with everything."

"Really?" Becker asked disbelievingly.

Abby rolled her eyes. "Well, it was nothing a good romantic comedy and ice cream couldn't fix. She'd seen it coming, anyway."

Becker frowned, feeling slightly ashamed that he hadn't spoken to Jess before she found out. "Okay, so I guess we should find you some clothes that aren't covered in blood." Stephen said quickly, frowning at the shirt Becker had picked up the night before. "Do you have a change of clothes?"

"In my locker."

"I'll be back." Stephen said quickly, pressing a quick kiss to Becker's lips. Becker stared after him in shock, barely hearing Abby's laughter.

"Wait! How will you get in my locker?"

Stephen moved back into the doorway, a pout on his face. "Don't you trust me at all?" Then he disappeared once again, only adding to Abby's laughter. She was clenching her stomach, her face red as she gasped for breath.

"You should have seen your face!" Abby finally gasped, moving to take the chair beside the bed. "I have never seen you look that shocked!"

Becker fought the urge to roll his eyes. "Thanks."

Abby just smiled. "So, how are you doing?"

"Fine." He replied shortly, not wanting to admit that his side felt like- well, like it had been slashed open with a claw.

"Sure you are." Abby nodded, rolling her own eyes in amusement. "Well, sorry to wake you both. You looked comfortable."

"Then why did you wake us?" Becker muttered, pushing himself up so he could rest against the headboard.

"Well, I wasn't lying when I said we all knew, but I thought Lester seeing the two of you might be a little much." Abby joked, a smile on her face. "He should be in anytime now."

Becker winced at the thought. "That would have been...not a good thing."

Abby chuckled. "No, not a good thing."

Stephen came back into the room, throwing Becker his bag with extra clothes. Becker stared at him for a moment, before turning his eyes back to the bag. "Do I want to know how you got these?"

"Probably not." Stephen said, his eyes glittering in amusement. "Wouldn't want the head of security knowing all of this places secrets." 


	8. Chapter 8

The following week passed quickly, though Becker was becoming more and more irritated with desk duty. Twice the team had been called out, and twice he was forced to pace around his office while he waited for them to return. He would have stayed in the control room with Jess and Stephen so he knew what was going on, but they had both quickly kicked him out after the first few minutes.

Everything with Stephen was going great, and Becker was happier than he had been in a long time. Stephen had found a flat he liked and was in the process of acquiring furniture, and in the meantime his things had slowly been moved to Becker's flat. Neither of them were ready for it to be a permanent thing, but both of them enjoyed being close together and waking up with each other.

Things had been awkward with Jess. She was still avoiding Becker at every opportunity, always having an excuse to leave after being with him for a few minutes. Stephen wasn't any better, if he saw Becker alone with Jess he would appear beside them, a strained smile on his face. No matter how many times Becker informed him he had nothing to worry about when it came to Jess, the man didn't seem to be able to stop himself.

"Well, you're finally caught up on paperwork." Stephen said, a smirk on his face as he walked into the room. "At least something good came of this."

Becker sent him a scowl. "I don't think my desk has been this clean since I moved it in here."

Stephen chuckled, sitting on the edge of the desk and smirking down at the man in front of him. "Are you finished being depressed? You'll be back in the field soon enough."

Becker crossed his arms over his chest. "I'm not depressed. I'm just-"

"Worried." Stephen said, smirking. "Just like the rest of us. Just like I will be when you go back out there. Relax for a minute, everyone is here, at the ARC."

Becker let his arms drop, "I'm aware of that, thanks."

"Your welcome." Stephen quipped with a smirk. He slid off the desk, still wincing slightly as he moved his body. "I've been in Connor's lab, looking over his new project. Everything looks good- though Nick was always better at that stuff. But I don't think its dangerous. Could be useful, if he can get it to work."

"What is it?" Becker questioned warily, always a little worried about Connor's 'inventions.'

Stephen's lip twitched. "Ah, no. Not telling. If he gets it to work, then you'll know."

Becker rolled his eyes. "Come on, stop being childish."

Stephen laughed, "Me? You're the one that just rolled his eyes."

Becker crossed his arms over his chest once again, feeling his lips twitch. Something about this man _did_ make him act childish. He was about to reply when one of his men appeared in the doorway. "Sir, the new recruits have arrived."

Becker's eyes widened before he closed off his features. Damn! With everything that had happened, he had completely forgotten about the new recruits! This part always irritated him, because half of the men would end up being transferred, then he would have to get more. There wasn't training for when dinosaurs attacked- Becker thought there should be. He had wasted hours training men for this job, only for them to leave because they 'couldn't handle this', or 'didn't sign up for it'.

Becker didn't realize they had been given a choice, but apparently they were all told they were allowed to request a transfer if they had a reason.

Becker really didn't think those were good enough reasons.

"Well, go on then." Stephen said in amusement, squeezing his shoulder as he walked toward Becker's desk once again. "Don't do anything stupid to pull those out." He said, motioning to the stitches. "See you tonight?"

Becker nodded, scowling. New recruits this late in the day meant that he would be here for hours after the rest had gone home. He went to his jacket and pulled out his key ring, then quickly pulled his spare key off and tossed it to Stephen. "It'll probably be late." He muttered when Stephen looked from him to the key in surprise.

"How late?" Stephen asked, sliding the key into this jean pocket. "Like I shouldn't wait on dinner, or like I shouldn't wait up?"

Becker shrugged, letting out a sigh. "Depends on the recruits."

Stephen frowned, but nodded. "Okay, I'll see you later."

Becker sent him a hesitant smile before hurrying out of the office. Hopefully Stephen would be there when he got home.

Five hours later, Becker pulled into his parking spot and let out a deep sigh. One look at a Tryrannosaurus Rex and more than half of the recruits had wanted a transfer. His men had stared at them all in shock, all commenting on how bad this was going to be for the future forces. Becker had just ignored all of them, then asked for more to be sent in.

Lester had made his usual comments, about how the only men that would stay on were the ones that needed to be committed anyway. Becker had stayed silent, then informed the rest of the recruits they would start training in the morning.

"Stephen?" Becker called, glancing at the clock. It was a little after nine, to early for the man to be in bed.

"In here!" Stephen replied from the kitchen. Becker followed his voice, smiling as he saw Stephen pulling a plate of food from the oven. "Couldn't eat it all myself." He muttered with a slight flush on his cheeks when he saw Becker in the doorway.

Becker felt a rush of affection for the man. "Thanks." He said, sliding into the kitchen chair as Stephen placed the plate in front of him.

"So, how was it?"

Becker shook his head, "Awful. Half of them dropped from the pictures. My men are running ragged as it is, I really needed another team."

Stephen frowned, "I thought you special forces guys just went where you were told."

Becker nodded, "Usually, but this is one of the few where you're allowed to ask out."

Stephen was still frowning as Becker finished his meal. "So you could have asked to be reassigned when you started?"

Becker looked up in surprise. "I wouldn't do that. I knew what I was getting into when I signed on. I'm in it now."

Stephen stood, taking the plate from Becker and placing it in the sink. "I should be able to move into the flat this weekend. You up for helping me move?"

Becker frowned at the change of subject. "You know I am. Maybe not as much heaving lifting as usual, but I can get some of my men."

Stephen shook his head. "Connor and Matt will be there, they should be able to handle it." At Becker's skeptic look, Stephen smiled lightly, "okay, so Matt can handle most of it. And Abby's strong."

Becker laughed loudly, imagining Connor trying to lift one side of a couch- and then falling over and Abby lifting it easily. Stephen laughed along with him. "Really though, I don't have that much yet, so we should be fine."

Becker shrugged, a smile still tugging his lips. "Alright."

Stephen came up beside him, resting his hands on Becker's shoulders. "I was thinking we could all start early, than order pizza for a late lunch. Then, possibly, we could all just hang around there, help me unpack some things."

Becker turned his head, raising an eyebrow. "You want us to do all of your work."

Stephen chuckled, his blue eyes shining in amusement as he looked at Becker's lips. "I don't want to do it alone." He leaned over, pressing his lips against Becker's softly. Becker returned the kiss, raising a hand to wrap around the back of Stephen's neck. He massaged the skin there, loving the feel as Stephen moaned.

Stephen pulled away, resting his forehead against Becker's. "And than I was thinking you could stay the night. It would be a little lonely all by myself."

Becker chuckled. "I think I can agree to that."

"I'm sure you can." Stephen replied with a smirk, once again pressing his lips against Becker's. \

And then their phones rang.

They both groaned, pulling away from each other and glaring at the objects. Becker grabbed his quickly. "Becker." He snapped.

"Becker? You and Stephen need to get to the ARC." Matt said quickly, the sound of an alarm going off around him.

"Neither of us can be in the field." Becker replied, standing quickly. He saw Stephen, his phone pressed against his ear, already standing at the door, Becker's keys in his hand.

"Someone broke in." Came the reply.

"Five minutes." Becker said, cutting off the call.

"Ever had a break in before?" Stephen asked as they quickly made their way down the stairs and to Becker's truck.

"A few." Becker replied, grimacing. "Danny, Christine Johnson...and Helen."

There was silence for a few seconds, both of them remembering people they had lost. "Two of those three are dead. And Danny is gone. So this has to be someone new." Stephen said, his eyes narrowed.

"We hope." Becker muttered. The man beside him was proof- you could never be to sure when you worked at the ARC. 


	9. Chapter 9

Lester was waiting by the door when Stephen and Becker walked in, a glare on his face. "Captain, I do not appreciate being called at ten o'clock at night to be informed that someone somehow managed to get through your security. What is going on?"

"I don't know yet, sir." Becker said, moving around the man and into the ARC, with a grim Stephen behind him.

"Captain-"

"He's working on it. We just got here." Stephen snapped, glaring.

Lester's eyebrows rose. "Mr. Hart, I was not speaking with you. And why did the two of you arrive together? I was under the impression that Mr. Hart was staying with the other two."

"The other two?" Stephen questioned, still scowling.

"Connor and Abby."

Becker tuned the two of them out, going up to his men, "What is it?"

"We have no idea." The man said, eyes narrowed with annoyance. "We've gone through all of the footage, looked in every room. We haven't seen anything."

Becker felt ice trickle down his spine. "That's impossible."

"We've found nothing." The man replied once again.

"Where did the alarm get tripped?" Becker asked, taking the gun he was offered. He saw Stephen grab one off of another soldier. The soldier was about to protest, but Becker caught his eye and shook his head.

"The kids lab."

Becker froze, slowly moving his eyes toward Stephen. The man stared back at him, eyes widening. They both turned, running down the hall toward Connor's lab. Becker winced as his stitches pulled, a glance at Stephen showing him the man was just as bad off. "That anomaly is closed, correct?" Stephen demanded.

Becker nodded, "We moved it. Tossed it into the other one. It couldn't have re-opened, my men would have seen that."

Stephen didn't comment, just pushed open the door into Connor's work zone. The first thing Becker noticed was that it was a complete mess- unfortunately, he didn't know if it was a Connor mess, or a searched through mess. He and Stephen checked the room, moving the desk and looking behind everything. "There isn't anything here." Stephen finally said, dropping his gun slightly and looking at the table. "Where is Connor?"

Becker turned on his comm, only to hear everyone trying to talk at one time. "Enough!" He said, breaking into the conversation, "Connor, where are you?"

"Control room with everyone else."

"Come to your lab, not alone. Tell us if it's supposed to look like this or if someone's been in here."

"Right." Connor muttered, sounding a little embarrassed.

He arrived only a few seconds later, an armed Matt and Abby beside him. "Uh, yeah, that wasn't me." Connor muttered, looking wide eyed at the table in front of him.

"Everyone check every single room." Becker instructed his men, watching them all spread out. He shook his head, knowing that whoever was here was now gone. "What were they looking for, Connor? Anything missing?"

Connor started shuffling through the papers, a frown on his face. Becker watched as the frown got more pronounced, before Connor let out a deep sigh and closed his eyes. "My paperwork for the new project is gone."

Stephen closed his eyes. "And are we allowed to know what this project is now?" Matt asked, the sarcasm evident in his voice.

"It wasn't anything horrible." Stephen said, placing a hand on Connor's shoulder. "Connor was trying to recreate the artifact that Helen stole- the one that could predict anomalies. Just a way for us to know where they would appear before they did."

"Like Professor Cutter was working on before he died." Abby said softly, wrapping an arm around her fiancé.

"Exactly. I don't know why someone would take it," Connor said, his voice small, "it didn't even work."

"Maybe you were a little to close." Matt stated, making everyone's head snap toward him. He held up his hands. "Alright, I didn't do it. I know it seems like something I would do, but it wasn't me."

"Who even knew you were working on it?" Abby questioned.

Connor shook his head. "Just Stephen. I didn't want to talk to anyone about it unless it worked. Stephen was helping."

Matt turned to Stephen, a questioning look in his eye. "Do you mind if we ask where you were tonight?"

"At Becker's." Stephen said instantly, his face expressionless. Matt gave him an apologetic look, then shrugged his shoulders at Becker.

"And why were you at Captain Becker's?" Lester asked, coming into the room and staring at all of them with a raised eyebrow.

"Oh, this is not the time for this." Abby muttered. She rolled her eyes, swinging to face Lester and motioned to the two men, "They're together. They care about each other. Stephen hasn't been around our flat in a week. Now can we move on?"

Lester glared at her and Abby took a step back. "And why would I make a big fuss about the two of them being...whatever they are. I didn't say a word about you and Temple. Or about Jenny and Cutter."

"Jenny and Cutter?" Stephen cut in.

"Not the time." Becker said shortly, once again turning his attention to Connor. Apparently Lester really didn't care and Becker had a job to do. "How far away was this thing from working?"

"Um, I think it just needed a little more work, it seemed to guess most of them- but then some of them didn't happen, so-"

"So someone broke in the ARC- without any of my men seeing them, set of the alarm, found the papers they wanted, then got out before my men got here, and without anyone seeing them."

"Maybe it was aliens." Connor put in helpfully. Becker ignored the comment.

"Maybe they had something to open an anomaly." Abby added.

"The anomaly detector didn't go off." Matt stated, shutting down that theory.

"Maybe-"

"Maybe they knew how to shut off the security and only turned it back on once they were ready to leave. Then while everyone was coming here, they were going another way- oh, and they knew how to pause the camera's."

Becker turned sharply, coming face to face with Danny Quinn.

There was a shocked silence, every person staring at Danny with wide eyes, and then Lester spoke. "Right. Arrest Mr. Quinn. Again."


	10. Chapter 10

"Oh, not again." Danny muttered, a smirk on his face as the special forces men moved in on him. "Is this really necessary?"

"I told you to stop breaking in." Becker replied, his eyes narrowed. He was still in shock, wondering how the hell Danny had got here in the first place- and where Ethan was.

"Had to." Danny replied quickly, holding up papers. "Needed to borrow these. Don't worry- they're fine." He said quickly, looking at Connor's horror struck face. "I needed to do something. Now its done, and you can have them back."

"Yes, thank you for giving us the property that belonged to us in the first place." Lester said stoically, motioning for the men to back away from Danny with annoyance. "Never mind, just make sure he doesn't disappear again."

"Aw, I didn't know you cared." Danny replied, sending his old boss a winning smile.

Lester stared at him for a moment in silence, then turned and walked toward the door. "I expect a report on my desk by the end of the day."

"He didn't mean me, right?" Danny asked, frowning.

"Most likely." Becker replied cooly, reaching out to grab the papers from Danny's hands and handing them to Connor. "Would you like to explain why you broke in to steal papers on a thing that doesn't even work?"

"Needed them." Danny replied easily, lowering himself down onto a bench. "And no, I cant tell you more than that."

"Where is your brother?" Matt asked, his eyes calculating as his hand strayed toward his gun.

"Gone. And I'm not telling that story, either." The infuriating man replied, an annoying smile crossing his face. "And it seems you've added a new person since I was here last. You are?" He asked, looking at Stephen with raised eyebrows. He looked down at the cast on Stephen's leg and a smirk crossed his face.

"Stephen Hart."

"Stephen-" Danny started in surprise, now looking at the man in a completely different light. "I'm sorry, but aren't you supposed to be dead?"

"So they say." Stephen replied, a cool look on his face. His blue eyes flickered to Becker, who only sent him an exasperated look back.

"But you were torn apart. They didn't even find most of your body- oh." Danny continued, ignoring the wince's from most of the people in the room. "You didn't actually die. Huh. Interesting. How did that happen, again?"

"Why did you need Connor's papers?" Stephen replied with a smirk tugging at the corner of his lips.

"I cant say."

"Then I cant say how I survived."

Danny blinked in surprise, then let out a bark of laughter. "Oh, I see why they all liked you." Danny said, sending the rest of the team a smile. "So, what have I missed?"

"What are you doing here, Danny?" Matt said, moving forward and standing right in front of the other man.

Danny shrugged. "As I said, Ethan is gone. No reason to be traveling through anomalies now. So, here I am."

"And I suppose you want a place back in the ARC." Matt stated.

"It was my team before it was yours." Danny pouted slightly, his eyes glittering wickedly. "But yeah, that's what I want."

"The way we do things have changed." Matt continued on, still not showing any sort of expression on his face. Becker leaned against the wall, shifting slightly at the pain in his side. Stephen saw what he was doing and moved closer to him, a frown on his face as he looked at Becker's side.

"Did you pull the stitches?" He asked softly, so no one could hear the conversation except the two of them.

Becker shrugged lightly, "Not sure. Feels like a couple snapped."

Stephen's frown intensified, and he turned away from the conversation in front of him and slowly moved in front of Becker, blocking him from view, as he lifted the side of his shirt. "Shit." Stephen muttered.

Becker glanced down, seeing the red staining the bandage. Stephen placed a hand on Becker's side, above the bandage, and stroked the skin lightly as he pulled the bandage back with the other hand. "Alright, Medical for you." He muttered, placing the bandage back and pulling down the side of Becker's shirt.

"So, what's this then?" Danny broke in, an amused smirk on his face as his eyes slid from Becker to Stephen.

Both men looked at the room, surprised to see everyone's glances on him. "You alright?" Matt asked Becker, ignoring Danny's question.

"Fine." Becker replied gruffly, not wanting to be the center of attention.

"Pulled some of the stitches." Stephen replied, shooting Becker a glare.

Danny cut in once again, "So you to together than?"

"Danny, not the time." Matt snapped, motioning for Becker to move to the door. "Go to medical. We can handle him."

"How _exactly_ are you going to handle me?" Danny asked with another smirk.

Stephen groaned from beside Becker. "Okay, we're leaving."

"Together? Hmm."

"Danny." Becker said sharply, instantly cutting his old friend off. Danny instantly sobered, nodding slowly.

Connor and Abby both walked toward Danny with smiles on their faces, Abby pulling him into a hug. "I guess this means I'm back?" Danny asked, slapping a hand on Connor's shoulder and glancing at Matt.

Matt sighed, "Welcome back."

Becker groaned as he and Stephen left the room. "Great. You have no idea what we just got into. We'll be having security breaches once a week now- maybe more. I swear, I should just sleep here."

Stephen chuckled, his hand pressed against Becker's side to apply pressure. "We could set up a room for you."

"Right next to Medical." Becker agreed, pressing his hand against Stephens and ignoring the knowing looks his men were throwing them.

"Or," Stephen said slowly, a slightly worried look in his eye that Becker saw him trying to hide. "My new flat is close. Really close. Closer than your flat."

Becker stopped, turning so he was facing the other man. Stephen's hand stayed pressed against his side. "And?"

"And it would be a lot more comfortable than staying here." Stephen replied, shrugging his shoulders and not meeting his eyes. "Just saying."

There was a slight pause, then Becker found himself nodding. "It would be more comfortable."

Stephen smiled, his eyes softening, "Yeah. And only three more days until I can move in."

"Three days." Becker agreed.

Stephen chuckled as they continued toward Medical. "At least one good thing came with Danny coming back to the team."

"That is?"

"Now I have someone to help Matt move the furniture."

_End _


End file.
